Labor secretary must be in another planet for being clueless, in denial about workers’ plight – Anakbayan

January 17, 2011

“Is Baldoz the Labor Secretary of the Moon? Because it seems she is clueless about the situation of working Filipinos here on Earth”

This was the reaction of Anakbayan spokesperson Vencer Crisostomo to the claim of Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz that the recent price and fare hikes have no impact on wages and that there is no need to grant a salary increase now.

The last wage hike in Metro Manila, amounting to P22, was granted in June last year.

According to calculations by the Dept. of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), the average passenger of the MRT, LRT, and LRT-2 would experience increases of P12.30 to P19.61, P14.20 to P19, and P13.51 to P19.08, respectively. Assuming that the said passenger takes the train when leaving and going home, his/her transportation expenditures will increase by a range of P9.60 to P14.62.

Aside from the train fares, vegetable prices have previously gone up due to the toll hikes for the Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, and SCTEX expressways. Today, the price of Pinoy Tasty bread has gone up by P2 per loaf, while that of selected brands of loaf bread by P1. Various jeepney groups have also petitioned for a P1 fare hike.

The youth leader said Baldoz’s insensitivity was reflective of his boss, which has come under fire for purchasing a new sports car at a time Filipinos are reeling from the successive hikes.

“Contrary to their propaganda, a wage hike will not drive Filipino-owned businesses into bankruptcy since most of them are small or medium enterprises (SMEs) and thus exempted from minimum wage levels. Only greedy foreign corporations, who are allergic to even a single peso wage hike, are against the increases” said the youth leader. ###